Abby: Hopeful lottery winners want to share fortune with spouse

Dear Abby: I'm responding to your request for comments about the letter from "Happily Single" (Feb. 13) and whether a divorce would be the first course of action upon winning the lottery. In a community-property state, a divorce AFTER winning wouldn't legally protect you from having to share the spoils with your soon-to-be (and probably now bitter) ex-spouse.

My husband and I have talked at length about what we'd do if either of us won the Powerball jackpots, and no, divorce was NOT on the list. We'd start by consulting a lawyer/financial planner to find a way to protect our privacy before claiming the money.

I suspect the comments from "Happily's" co-workers are evidence that unhappily marrieds group together - or enjoy complaining about their spouses. Either way, it's sad. Studies show that complaining about a spouse significantly decreases one's satisfaction in a relationship. While we all "vent" from time to time, if talking divorce is your first response to a jackpot win, then you're in the wrong relationship. - In It For The Long Haul

Abby: I hit the jackpot with the huge response I received about that letter. And the majority of readers said they would NOT divorce:

Dear Abby: I am a lottery winner, and I feel blessed and proud that I can take care of my wife the way she deserves. Within two minutes of my win I was on the phone with her, telling her to quit her stressful job. We now have a wonderful life, with more than we ever hoped for. - Satisfied In The Sunshine State

Dear Abby: I wouldn't consider getting divorced if I won, but I might finally buy that second husband I've been wanting but can't afford. - Tacoma Reader

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Abby: Hopeful lottery winners want to share fortune with spouse

Dear Abby: I'm responding to your request for comments about the letter from 'Happily Single' (Feb. 13) and whether a divorce would be the first course of action upon winning the lottery.